Glam Up Guilt Free

Cruelty-free and vegan beauty products are taking the cosmetics world by storm, but they’re still the minority on most store shelves. There are so many products out there that contain animal products or are created by brands that still testing on animals.

Worldwide, millions of innocent animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits and mice suffer from these testing procedures. The tests are conducted to find out whether any of the ingredients or the product itself is unsafe for use by humans. Animal rights activists from all parts of the world strongly oppose these testing operations. Because of their efforts, these operations are now banned in countries like Israel, Norway, India, all EU(including UK)

Because of this, mindful shopping for beauty products can be overwhelming at times, and you might be thinking, “What should I do? How do I carefully select beauty products that are cruelty-free and vegan?” Rapidly changing cosmetic trends are affecting global marketplace, as most consumers find cruelty to animals unethical and are spreading awareness against this act. 

If you are cautious of cruelty to animals, “vegan” is one label you should look out for –  the other one being “cruelty-free”. Many think that the two are interchangeable, but in reality there is a big difference. While the term “vegan” means that the product doesn’t include any animal-derived ingredients, the labelling “cruelty-free” refers to animal testing, which still occurs largely in the cosmetics industry. A product can be labelled “cruelty-free” if both the final product itself and all its ingredients are free from animal testing. Some products are cruelty-free and not vegan, and others are technically vegan, but as animal testing still occurs in the supply chain, they are not cruelty-free. 

There are many cosmetic manufacturing giants which have stopped following these cruel procedures, since there are a number of alternatives to these brutal operations. Opt for the brands of makeup products and applicators which are approved by organizations like PETA for being 100 percent cruelty free or alternatively you can use organic or synthetically produced products. For example, you can buy synthetic makeup brushes instead of brushes which are made out of animal-hair. We at Organico, support vegan and sustainable products by curating vegan and cruelty free beauty product brands.

In Australia, the organisation Choose Cruelty-Free has a bunny logo with the text Not Tested On Animals, which accredits cruelty-free brands and products. And in Europe, Cruelty-Free International’s Leaping Bunny is a widely recognised and trusted symbol.

Vegan beauty is more widely available now than it’s ever been, but you still might have to branch out to explore and discover new favourites. Look up online marketplaces, and look into smaller, niche brands. Chances are your bathroom will quickly fill up with new favourites.

However, just like going vegan in the kitchen, transitioning to vegan beauty is a process. Mistakes will happen, so take it step by step and take your time. Don’t expect to be cruelty-free and vegan overnight. That email you wrote to that shampoo brand might have gotten the response that they are indeed cruelty-free – only for you to later discover that they sell in China, only when you’re already several bottles in. So the key would be to not beat yourself up, keep learning and tweaking your habits accordingly.